Mailing device



June 14, 1966 w. .1. KENNEDY MAILING DEVICE Filed OGC. l2, 1954 BY fw ATTORNEYS `unsightly in appearance.

United States Patent O 3,255,953 MAILING DEVICE William J. Kennedy, Flossmoor, Ill., assigner to The -Iuensley Company, Chicago, lill., a corporation of mois Filed oci. 12, 1964, ser. No. 403,187

icinm.` (onza-92.3)

This invention relates to improvements in a mailing device, and more particularly to a simple form of mailing device containing a mailable reply insert, the device being highly desirable for use in merchandising, advertising, an-d similar business endeavors, although the invention may have other uses .and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Heretofore, many and various types of foldable mailing devices, some of which contained reply inserts, have been developed but in many cases have proven objectionably time consuming to assemble and objectionally Since most devices of this character are utilized with the thought in mind of selling something to the recipient, the -device must be almost immediately appealing to the recipient or it will be quickly discarded in the wastebasket. Many of the formerly known mailingdevices which carried reply inserts had those inserts mounted in a manner that was, by their very design, most unsightly in appearance and incapable of providing assurance `that t-he addressee (recipient) and his address would be completely visible land entirely discernible when dropped in the mail and, through the mail, to final destination. In either case, the damage was done and a possible sale lost. Heretofore, in most instances the pockets for such reply inserts were preformed by necessity and the tedious task of pl-acing the insert endwise into such a pocket only added to the cost of the entire operation.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a simple form of mailing device in which a reply insert may be effectively pocketed by the mere folding of the letter portion of the device in a manner to lit it into an envelope.

Also an important feature of this invention is the provision of a mailing device comprising a foldable sheet equipped with means to pocket a reply insert, hold the insert against shifting and yet permit free and easy removal of the insert.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a mailing device comprising a sheet of material with fold lines for folding the sheet into a pair of confronting panels, there being a stripe of adhesive of the character that adheres only to similar adhesive on each of the panels, and a reply insert may be effectively and properly pocketed between the panels by the simple expedient of folding the sheet.

Still a further object of this invention is the provision of a mailing device that is attractive in appearance, economical to handle, and which has a definite appeal to the recipient.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side edge elevational view of a mailing sheet device embodying principles of the instant invention, `showing the same prior to being put to use;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the device of FIGURE l, showing a reply card insert associated therewith prior to assembly; 4 i

FIGURfE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, showing the insert Vpositioned prior to folding of the letter sheet;

3,255,953 Patented June 14, 1966 hee of reply insert, i.e., a reply envelope.

As shown on the drawings:

The instant invention will usually be made of various grades of paper or the like, decorated or colored as desired, and in most instances three pieces of material will be involved, namely a foldable sheet on which a letter or advertisement may be disposed, a reply insert (either a card or envelope), and a carrie-r envelope.

The foldable message bearing portion of the device comprises a single sheet of material, generally indicated by the reference numeral l, and the upper portion of which is provided with a pair of spaced transverse fold lines 2 and 3, which may be score marks, score lines or the like, defining .a pair of panels 4 and 5 which may be folded into confronting relationship along the fold 4line 2. The fold lines 2 and 3 may be made by scoring or in any other suitable manner.

Along the upper margin of the panel 4 a stripe 6 of adhesive is provided, this adhesive preferably being latex adhesive or the equivalent, of the type which adheres only to similar adhesive but will not adhere to a yplain piece of paper. A similar adhesive stripe 7 is placed along the lower margin of the panel 5. When the panel 4 is folded downwardly over the panel S the two self-sealing stripes of adhesive 6 and 7 may be pressed together and an insert, to be later described, can effectively be pocketed between the two panels. The panels 4 and 5 are each provided with a suitable notch, 8 and 9 respectively, which coincide when the panels are folded into confronting relationship to assist in the withdrawal of the insert. The lower panel 5 is also preferably provided with a window 10, which may be in the form of an aperture, through which an address on the insert is visible.

The sheet I may be used to convey a message on either or both sides thereof as diagrammatically indicated at 11 in FIGURE 2.

In FIGURES 2, 3, 4 and 5 I have illustrated an insert in the form of a reply card 12. On one side thereof the reply card bears any suitable message and the address of the intended recipient of the device, as diagrammatically indicated at 13 in FIGURE 2. On the other side the reply car'd bears the address of the sender of the device (for return of the card) as indicated at 14.

In assembling the device, the card insert is turned over from the position seen in FIGURE 2 to the position seen in FIGURE 3 'and the card insert is placed on the panel 5 with the upper edge of the card immediately subjacent the yfold line 2, the right-hand side edge 0f the car-d flush with the 'adjacent edge of the panel 5 and with a lower marginal portion 16 of the post card overlying a portion of the adhesive stripe 7 on the panel 5. With the card so positioned, the panel 4 is folded downwardly over the panel 5 and the card 12 and the adhesive stripe 6 firmly locked to the adhesive stripe 7, and the card thereby eiiectively pocketed.

It will be noted that the card 12 is usually of less length than the width of the sheet 1 so that it does not extend entirely across the panel 5. The fold at the line 2 prevents the card from shifting upwardly; the engagement of the adhesive stripes behind the inner edge of the cardv prevents the card from moving inwardly; and the engagement of the adhesive stripes below the marginal portion 16 of the card prevents the card from shifting downwardly. There will be suicient friction between the panels and by reason of the adhesive at the marginal portion 16 of the card to prevent the card from accidentally falling out of the pocket. At the same time, the card may be easily grasped between the thumb and finger at the coinciding notches 8 and 9 and withdrawn from the pocket by the recipient of the mailing device, since the adhesive will not adhere to the card itself. Once withdrawn, the card cannot be replaced in the pocket except with difficulty, because of the adherence of the adhesive stripes in the region where the marginal portion 16 of the card had formerly been.

After the card has been pocketed in the simple manner above described, the lower portion of the sheet 1 is folded in the nature of a letter and disposed behind the panel 4 leaving the panel clear for the recipients address 13 on the card to be seen through the window 10. The folded sheet carrying the card is then inserted in an envelope 17 having a window 18 therein covered with cellophane or the equivalent which coincides with the window -in the sheet 1 and the recipients address on the card is visible through the envelope so that the envelope needs no further addressing.

After the mailing device has been opened by the recipient, and the card returned to the sender, the recipients address functions as a return address on the opposite side of the card.

In FIGURE 6 I have shown a different form of mailable insert, i.e. a self-mailer type reply envelope. In this instance it is a single sheet of paper or other suitable material, generally indicated by numeral 19. The insert is shown by the full lines in folded condition ready for pocketing in the aforesaid folded sheet 1 in lieu of the reply card 12. The dotted line showing indicates the shape of the complete piece 19 before it is folded. A right-hand panel 20 is folded rearwardly behind the address bearing portion along the line 21, and similarly a left-hand panel -or flap 22 is folded rearwardly along the line 23. Then both the flaps and the bottom panel 24 are folded upwardly along the line 25. At the top is a gummed sealing flap 26 which is dropped down over the upwardly folded panel 24 and the inwardly folded side flaps 20 and 22.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided an ecient simply constructed mailing device which positively holds a mailable insert in pocketed condition a stripe `of adhesive which only adheres to itself along each of the panel margins remote from said upper score line, =a mailable insert of less length than the width of said panels disposed between the panels with one end edge flush with juxtaposed side edges of the panels, a marginal portion of said insert extending partially between said adhesive stripes which are fully engaged inwardly of the insert and partially engaged below said marginal portion of the insert, the lower portion of said sheet below the lower of said score lines being longer than either of said panels and foldable adjacent one of the panels when superposed, whereby the insert is eectively trapped at its inner end by said adhesive stripes, prevented from moving upwardly or downwardly by said upper fold line and said adhesive stripes, prevented from moving outwardly from between said panels by friction, yet may be easily purposely withdrawn from between the panels without injury to the sheet bearing the insert, and cannot be reinserted without extreme difficulty,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,138,250 11/1938 Lee 229-923 2,209,601 7/1940 Heywood 229-71 2,603,410 7/1952 True et al. 229-921 3,111,258 11/1963 Perlstein 229-923 3,132,796 5/1964 OGorman 229-923 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. M. BOCKENEK, Assistant Examiner. 

